HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Defend the Island is a motto that the Stony Brook University men's lacrosse team preaches, and the Seawolves lived up to that mantra this weekend as they successfully captured the first-ever Long Island Cup with a 10-6 victory over LIU. Stony Brook used a gritty defensive effort to limit the Sharks to just six goals en route to picking up its fourth-straight win on Saturday.
The Seawolves improved to 4-0 on the young season and are off to their best start since they began the 2017 season with the same 4-0 record. The six goals allowed are the fewest in a game since they held Hartford to six goals on April 3, 2021.
Stony Brook took a commanding 4-0 lead in the first quarter and was fueled by early goals from senior midfielder
Matt Anderson, sophomore attack
Dylan Pallonetti, and sophomore attack
Noah Armitage. Pallonetti scored a pair of goals in the opening frame as the Seawolves took the four-goal advantage into the second quarter.
The teams traded goals in the third quarter and Stony Brook took a 5-1 lead into the halftime break. The Seawolves' early advantage was too much for the Sharks to overcome as Stony Brook held on to win by the final score of 10-6.
Stony Brook's defense held the Sharks' top two goal scorers in check. LIU's leading scorer Blake Behlen was limited to two goals and its second-leading scorer entering the game Jake Gillis was held scoreless. Seawolves' senior goalie
Anthony Palma stood on his head as he made 11 saves and only allowed the six goals.
The Seawolves' offense was led by Pallonetti who recorded a game-high five points (two goals, three assists). Armitage recorded his second hat trick of the season, while Anderson and graduate midfield
Mike McCannell each scored a pair of goals.
STATS AND NOTES
- Pallonetti finished the game with five points as he scored two goals and dished out three assists. It was his 16th career multi-goal game, 10th career multi-assist game, and 18th career-multi point game. He has scored a goal in every game of his career and his three assists tied a career-high. The sophomore also picked up three ground balls in the win.
- Armitage registered his second career hat trick. Both of his hat tricks have come this season as he also scored three goals in the win over Robert Morris on February 19.
- Palma made 11 saves and notched a 64.7 save percentage. The Seawolves' goalie has made 10 or more saves in three out of the first four games this season. He also recorded three grown balls.
- Anderson and McCannell each tallied a pair of goals in the contest. Anderson has scored two goals or more in each of the first four games, while McCannell recorded his third multi-goal game of the season.
- Junior long stick midfielder Christian Lowd scored his first goal of the season and picked up a game-high five ground balls. The goal was the second of his career and first since he found the back of the net on March 20, 2021, against UMass Lowell.
- Graduate defender Jacob Williams caused three turnovers and picked up a pair of ground balls. Junior defender Dan Newton made his Seawolves' debut and corralled one ground ball as he earned the start.
- Junior face-off specialist Renz Conlon went 8-for-12 on face-offs and picked up four ground balls.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"It's exciting, the guys came out and competed in a great event against a good team. I am really excited about our effort – that's the best defense that we played in probably three years that we have been here at Stony Brook. I couldn't be prouder of those guys flying around out there," said head coach
Anthony Gilardi.
NEXT UP
Stony Brook returns to LaValle Stadium to host Rutgers on Saturday, March 5, at noon. It marks the first time that the teams will go head-to-head since the Seawolves defeated the Scarlet Knights, 14-13, on February 29, 2020, in New Jersey.
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